Chickenfoot

In 2009, with the hard-rock band Van Halen in a continued state of flux due to infighting and uncontrollable egos, former lead vocalist Sammy Hagar and original bassist Michael Anthony joined forces with Chad Smith (from the "Red Hot Chili Peppers") and guitarist-extraordinaire Joe Satriani ("Surfin With The Alien") to form the band, "Chickenfoot." The group released two studio albums, and now eOne Music gives us a re-release of their debut, self-titled album, in a "Deluxe Double Disc" featuring five Bonus Tracks made up of new songs from the group’s studio recordings and live performances.

Hagar’s an established frontman, with years of successful solo recordings (including his early hits, "I Can’t Drive 55" and "You’re Love Is Driving Me Crazy") around his tenure with Van Halen, which contributed greatly to that band’s popular continuence when original singer David Lee Roth exited. With Eddie Van Halen’s son now working with his dad on any future projects, Anthony left to join forces with Hagar, and his trademark harmonies give "Chickenfoot" a similar vocal sound to Van Halen’s hits. The distinguishing characteristics of "Chickenfoot" come in the guitar-drum combo of Satriani and Smith. Their cohesion has a freshness to it, a desire to create new textures within the band, and not rely on the past tried-and-true. With this philosophy, the group peaks throughout the sixteen tracks, especially on "Runnin’ Out," "My Kinda Girl," and the first disc closer, "Future In The Past."

Four of the Bonus Tracks were recorded live during the band’s "Different Devil" tour in 2012, and feature Kenny Aronoff on drums, as Smith returned to his work with the "Chili Peppers." Overall, this project should please fans of any of the musicians’ past catalogs, but most likely will not add any new converts.

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